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Polly Ferman
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Polly
Ferman, pianist featured at PBS Special: “TANGO, THE SPIRIT OF
ARGENTINA”
Tango is a singular expression in music,
song and dance, a local art form that blossomed to enchant and seduce
the world. Produced on location in Buenos Aires in May 2004, TANGO:
The Spirit of Argentina displays the finest of Argentine tango in a
sizzling performance special that brings together the best singers,
musicians and dancers, at a combination of locations and concert venues,
to showcase the past and present of tango culture both for existing
tango aficionados and a whole new audience waiting to discover its magic.
Born at the end of the 19th Century in the tenements of Buenos Aires
drawing on waltzes and polkas from Europe along with African rhythms,
the product of mingling cultures in a port city, tango made its way from
the barrio to the ballroom - but remains untamed. And it is once again
seducing contemporary audiences as one of the fastest-growing dance
movements in the US. TANGO: The Spirit of Argentina introduces
tango in all its color and vibrant life, tracing the history of the
dance from its earliest waterfront roots to its latest symphonic
interpretation.
TANGO: The Spirit of Argentina begins, fittingly, where the dance
began - with performances on the docks in the barrio, then on to the
elegant sophistication of the Cervantes National Theater in the heart of
Buenos Aires. The second act highlights love and loss, the blend of
sensuality, sophistication, melancholy and passion which is the true
soul of tango - the "vertical expression of a horizontal desire." The
finale introduces audiences to tango's passion for 'place,' blending
music and dance with additional location shooting to reveal tango's
roots in the urban landscape of Buenos Aires.
Dancers featured in the program include Pilar Alvarez and Claudio
Hoffmann, choreographers and directors of Tango Metropolis as well as
dancers from the Esquina Carlos Gardel Company, named for the tango
singer known as the "King of Tango." All the various elements of TANGO
are woven together by background information about the dances and the
songs - some original to the conventillos where the tango took its first
steps - to enhance the viewer's appreciation of this art form.
TANGO: The Spirit of Argentina continues WLIW's series of
performance specials for PBS that bring to life the spirit of place
unique to a particular country and culture by filming in high definition
on location and utilizing cameras moving with the performers on stage.
MARIACHI: The Spirit of Mexico premiered nationwide in May 2003.
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